NPC In The News

Philanthropy One, Two, Three

Friday, February 08, 2013

Each year, sorority women raise millions of dollars for charity and contribute hundreds of thousands of community service and philanthropic hours. Sorority women definitely value service-it's one of the reasons sororities exist.

As a sorority member, you will contribute to the community in three main ways:

Taking part in your chapter's philanthropy

Participating in other chapters' philanthropic events

Donating your time through community service

All 26 member groups of the National Panhellenic Conference support philanthropies on a national scale, meaning that every chapter of an organization helps support the same cause. However, many chapters also have their own philanthropic causes in their communities. Either way, most chapters have at least one large-scale philanthropic event each year to raise money or awareness for a cause.

Some chapters may have one each semester. A chapter might host a campuswide volleyball tournament, a cook-off competition or a carnival. These are just a few examples; chapters come up with new and creative ideas for philanthropic events all the time! As a sorority member, you will be expected to participate in your chapter's philanthropic events and projects. Chapter officers will outline each member's responsibilities, but you might be asked to help sell tickets or referee a competition. Hosting a philanthropic event is something fun that sorority sisters can do together.

At some point, you might also be asked to participate in the philanthropic events of other chapters on your campus. When you join a sorority, you join the entire fraternity and sorority community at your school. Sorority and fraternity members love to support one another in their philanthropic activities, because sorority and fraternity members all share the values of philanthropy and service. If a fraternity or sorority is hosting a kickball competition, you could form a team with your sorority sisters and join in the fun. You can also show your support just by attending and paying for a ticket if the event requires one. The money raised from ticket sales goes toward whatever philanthropy the fraternity or sorority supports, so it is money well-spent.

Most chapters also have some kind of individual community service requirement. You will probably be expected to contribute a minimum number of hours to community service each semester or school year. You could volunteer your time cleaning a park or working in a hospital. If you find a project in your community that you are passionate about, completing your service hours should feel fun and engaging. Even better, you can meet with sorority sisters and experience service together.

Service is a vital part of sorority membership. If you want to support your community in fun and engaging ways, then sorority membership may be perfect for you. You will learn about the different philanthropic efforts of each chapter on your campus during the recruitment process, so if you are interested in philanthropy, pay attention so you can see what each chapter values in its commitment to community service.